Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God

Devotional: November 1st

We wrestle, etc.- Ephesians 6:12.

It is too common for the children of God, when exercised with sharp conflicts of soul, to write bitter things against themselves. But we do well always to remember we are travelers through the territories of an implacable and powerful enemy, whose malicious spirit delights in harassing and distressing us in every part, soul and spirit, as well as flesh. That herein we are not alone; it is the common lot of all the children more or less. Take, my brethren, the prophets and apostles as an example herein. We shall find them at times, under severe trials and sore conflicts of spirit. But know, Satan our adversary is a conquered foe; he can go no farther than our own loving Saviour permits him. Our exercises last not one moment longer than our dear Lord sees needful; none of them shall issue in our destruction but in Satan’s flight, our soul’s deliverance, and our God’s glory; and, like every thing else that befalls us, "they work together for our good."

Our enemies are spiritual powers, princes, rulers, who for number may be styled LEGION. Their nearness to us, and easy access to our spirits, in a way of striving and struggling for the mastery in order to cast us down, is justly styled WRESTLING. Here the combatants are closely joined, and grapple with each other. Our greatest danger is from our feet being tripped off the ground; whereby we may be maimed and bruised by a fall. Happy for us, we stand by the power of God through faith. We stand upon this sure foundation, "The Lord knoweth them who are his." Jesus knows that his people will be exposed to onsets of the enemy, but no power, subtlety, or malice shall prevail. Says our dear preserver, "none shall pluck them out of my hands:" I as man and Mediator, hold them by LOVE. "My Father is greater than I;" he keeps them by his irresistible and almighty power. Yet, alas! it must be owned, that conflicts for the season are grievous. To be attacked by a powerful, invisible foe, whose element where he rules, as well as the time of battle, is always in darkness; therefore most afflicting to the children of light. One blessed end of our trials, is to teach us that we should not trust in ourselves, but cry to the strong for strength. O, what a soul-strengthening, heart-reviving, and spirit-refreshing voice speaks from heaven to us! Hear, O soul, it is the voice of the captain of thy salvation. Wast thou ready to think he had left thee to thy own weakness? No: "Fear thou not, for I am with thee. I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."- Isaiah 41:10.

Jesus the Lord shall guard me safe

From ev’ry ill design,

And to his heav’nly kingdom take

This feeble soul of mine.

God is my everlasting aid,

And hell shall rage in vain;

To him be highest glory paid

And endless praise, Amen.

So an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. 2 Peter 1:11.

Our last meditation was gloom and sadness. Here, the sun of comfort arises, and sheds splendour, glory, and joy upon us. O that we may this night enter by faith into the joy of our Lord! Come, Christian! it seems you and I must tarry a little longer on earth, absent from our Lord. How shall we employ ourselves? In studying the word of his grace: in being diligent in the use of means: in exercising ourselves unto godliness. What then? O blessed assurance! “So an entrance shall be ministered unto us abundantly.” When? both in life and in death. (1st.) In life. We shall find a free and open door into the kingdom of Christ’s grace, love, and peace, even now. We shall have the joy in the Holy Ghost, and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, in our hearts. Thus, with the full sail of assurance, and the rapid tide of heavenly consolation, we shall sweetly and swiftly sail the voyage of life. All is enjoyed in being diligent in the ways of Christ. Diligence! working! labouring! etc. Why, (say some) all these are the very dregs of legality. Ay, so it would, if we had not the faith of Christ in our hearts, love to Christ in our souls, and the glory of Christ, who has fully justified and eternally saved us, in our view. Soul, thus press on. Mind not the Satanic grin, nor licentious sneer, of carnal professors, nor of legal gospellers. Legal! to live and labour in the kingdom of love? O, fool! say, did you ever expect to enter your Lord’s kingdom any other way, than by Christ, who is the door? Do you expect to enjoy the comforts of his love, and the assurance of his favour, in a walk and way contrary to his word and will? Are we not to walk in Christ, abounding in the work of faith, the patience of hope, and the labour of love? Diligence of soul to enjoy his presence, and to be conformed to his image, is our delight below. To have every holy temper and heavenly disposition from Christ, puts the soul into a right frame to enjoy him. This is to have a constant and an abundant entrance ministered to us, into the kingdom of Christ. So living and abiding in his kingdom of grace and love, our souls grow dead to the kingdom of this world. We rejoice to think, (2d.) of an entrance into Christ’s kingdom being abundantly ministered to us at death. Fellowship with Christ, and diligence in his ways, makes us think of death with pleasure, and familiarizes it to our mind with joy. By faith we see heaven open to admit us; God our Father, with open arms to embrace us; Christ to welcome us, and the Spirit to enable us to sing victory in death.

O! may I join the raptur’d lays,

And, with the blissful throng,

Resound salvation, pow’r, and praise

In everlasting song!